


Stay with me

by NYWCgirl



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Blood Loss, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experiences, Robbery, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 12:44:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20026045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Mac is getting pizza when things go sideways when a robber enters the place.





	Stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> This fic fills the ‘sacrifice’ square on my H/C Bingo card. It is inspired by Sherlock episode S03E03.

‘No hoss, it’s your turn to get the pizzas, I did it the last two times.’

‘Fine, I’ll get them. Just wait in the car, I will be right back.’

Mac exists Jack´s GTO and walks into the pizza place Riley picked. It´s not a big brand type of place and Mac must admit he like the atmosphere. There are three other customers before him; so he takes one of the menus to see what to order. There are several suggestions he would like to try so he is trying to determine which ones to order when the door behind him opens. He doesn´t pay attention to it until a voice calls out to lay down on the floor.

He turns around, facing a masked individual with a gun. Behind him the mom with her two small girls tries to shush them when they start crying. The gun moves towards the kids.

Great, on his free evening, he needs to diffuse this situation, quick.

‘Hey, just tell us what you want and leave the kids out of it.’ Mac calls out in an attempt to draw the robber´s attention to his own person. He can only hope Jack saw him enter and called 911.

The gun is aimed at him but before he can say something else, it is fired.

Time seems to slow.

‘That´s bad, Mac, it’s could be a fatal wound.’

Mac can only stare at Jack, who is walking around him, examining his stomach.

‘What’s going to kill you now?’ Concentrate Mac!’

‘The bullet.’

‘Right, so you’re gonna fall, you have about three seconds to decide whether to fall on your back or front. You need to decide.’

‘How? I…’

‘It all depends whether it was a through and through or not.’

‘I… the gun, it was a…’

Mac tries to think what gun the shooter was holding.

‘It doesn´t matter what gun, Mac. But you really need to decide, Mac, you don´t have much time.’

Mac searches his brain frantically for an answer. He starts when it is Bozer who answers next.

‘What is behind you? Think mac!’

‘A window… I didn´t hear it break, the bullet is still inside me.’

‘On your back then, kid, gravity will help keep the bullet in place.’

Mac can feel himself get lightheaded and he lets himself fall backwards. He can´t feel his arms and legs. What´s happening?

Once again, Jack is looking at him, ‘That’s the blood loss, kid, you’re going into shock. Don´t let it. Fight it. What reassures you? Find domething.’

Mac suddenly stands in front of his grandfather´s house, on the porch lies Archimedes.

‘Archimedes, come boy.’

The boy gets up and storms of the porch into his open arms.

‘What’s happening?

‘That was shock, hoss, now comes the pain. Brace yourself.’

Mac tries to take a deep breath but it only results in the pain slamming into him like a freight train. It steals his breath.

‘Not gonna lie to you man, but this is gonna suck.’

The pain seems to eat him from the inside out and he just wants it to stop.

‘Oh Macgyver.’

Mac swallows, he would recognize that sing song voice anywhere… Murdoc.

Murdoc crouches next to him and dips his gloved finger in the entry wound, ‘oh, this was a lucky shot.’

Mac knows this is not happening. He was shot in the shoulder that day in the warehouse.

‘This is just too good to be true, boy scout.’

Where is Jack? He was behind him. He tries to look behind him, craning his head.

‘Jack´s not here, Macgyver. You know this is not real, don´t you? You’re right as always, but that doesn´t prevent me from playing with you. I’m really flattered that you think of me while in pain.’

Mac wants to answer, but the pain is just too much, he can´t keep it under control. It is suffocating him.

‘It will be over soon. Just give into it. I must admit it spites me, I wasn´t the one to kill you, but now that it is almost over, I feel privileged to be by your side while you pass.’

Mac closes his eyes trying to block out his arch nemesis.

‘That’s it Macgyver, one last breath and it will all be over. Jack will not know what is happening and he will enter the place, looking for you and get killed as well.’

Mac´s eyes snap open. Jack!

He can’t let go. Jack would want him to fight.

* * *

The moment Jack hears the gunshot, he is out of the car. He quickly runs towards the pizza place and check what is going on through the window. His heart skips a beat when he sees all the customers on the floor. Only Mac is on his back, while all the others are on their stomach. The gun man looks in shock towards Mac, so amateur, even worse.

He calls Matty explaining what happened and that he needs a SWAT team and EMT´s. He then circles the building in an attempt to find a place the enter it. It finds an open window and stealthily makes his way in, focusing on the gun man. The man is still not really moving and he can sneak up on the man from behind. Going into full Delta mode, the man is quickly subdued. He leaves the unconscious gun man to the owner and the staff, focusing on Mac. There is a surprisingly small amount of blood, which is bad. It means Mac has severe internal bleedings.

‘Mac? Can you hear me? I’m here, you’re safe.’

His fingers tremble while he feels for a pulse. He can´t find any, so he takes a deep breath and tries again, focusing. There it is, way too rapid. Mac´s sweaty and pale. He turns to the customers.

‘Can someone open the door so they can see everything is under control?’

The mom with two kids opens the door, just as SWAT arrives, she lets out a squeal, but quickly tells the agents everything is under control and that they have a man down.

Once the SWAT leader verifies that everything is truly under control, EMT’s enter the building, immediately working on Mac. They do their best to stabilize him before putting him on a gurney and rushing off.

* * *

Pain is the first thing that registers, it radiates from his stomach. He wants to feel what is causing it, but he can´t seem to move his limbs.

And then it hits hi, there is something in his throat, choking him. He can´t breathe. Suddenly an alarm starts wailing, adding to the confusion.

Cool air suddenly rushes in his lungs. What’s going on?’

‘Mac? It’s OK, the ventilator is breathing for you. Don´t fight it. You’re safe.’

The voice is familiar, there is another voice that he doesn´t recognize, but before he can figure out who it is, a warmth pulls him back into the abyss.

* * *

Seeing Mac in the ICU is something Jack never gets used to. It’s unnatural, Mac being this still. The ventilator doesn´t hemp, even though the doc explained that they want to ease the stress on Mac´s body, so it can focus on healing.

Jack gets up from the chair the nurses brought in and stretches out the kinks in his back. He walks towards the window to look outside. Morning traffic tries to fight their way through the city in the streets below them. He doesn´t know what makes him turn around, but when he does, he can see a frown appearing on Mac´s face. It doesn´t take long before the alarms next to him engage.

Jack rushes to Mac´s side, taking his hand in a reassuring gesture.

‘Mac? It’s OK, the ventilator is breathing for you. Don´t fight it. You’re safe.’

A nurse enters the room, silencing the alarms, before checking Mac’s vitals.

‘He’s fighting the ventilator, which is a good thing, it means he is waking up, but for now, I´m going to give him something to relax. He needs his rest.’

She injects something in his IV line and Jack can see Mac relax.

‘Rest kids, you’ll be fine.’

* * *

Mac slowly shuffles from the bathroom to the kitchen. By the time he makes it to the counter, he’s winded and sweat is forming in his hair line. He can´t believe he still tires this easily. He has been home for almost a week now.

‘Do you want something to eat?’

‘Thanks Boze, maybe later. But I would like some water.’

Bozer hands him a bottle of water which he almost inhales.

‘I think I will go lay down on the couch for a moment.’

‘That´s a good idea.’

Mac pushes himself away from the counter, making his way to the couch. Sitting down pulls on his sutures, but once he is horizontal, the pain eases and it’s hard to keep his eyes open. And since there is no reason to stay awake, he is home after all and Bozer is here, he lets himself be pulled into sleep.

* * *

Jack takes his key for Mac´s front door and lets himself in. Bozer gives him a wave from the kitchen.

‘Hey boze, how is our boy?’

‘Resting on the couch.’

‘That bad, hm?’

Bozer gives him a sad shrug, he agrees with Jack that Mac must really feel bad, to voluntarily take naps during the day. But that is what he has been doing since he came back home.

‘He will be fine, Boze, but it will take time. This was a bad one. We will help him through it.’

‘Yeah, we will.’

‘Right, oh, I see you made waffles.’

‘Mac didn´t want any, so help yourself.’

Jack grabs himself some waffles, drowning them in syrup before going to the living room. Mac is lying on the couch, completely out. Jack puts down his plate before putting a blanket over him. Bozer also comes in with a cup of coffee and takes a seat on the other side of the couch. They flip through Netflix until they find an action movie they both want to see. One movie leads to another and before they know it, it’s getting dark outside.

When the door unlocks, Bozer gets up to see Riley and Matty entering the house. Mac still hasn´t stirred, but he needs his rest. The move outside to the fire pit where the start a fire.

When the doorbell chimes, Jack gets up, pulling out his gun before making his way to the door.

‘Who’s there?’

‘Pizza Palace.’

Jack opens the door, recognizing the logo on the man´s uniform and delivery van.

‘We didn´t order any pizzas.’

‘No, I was asked to bring these complementary pizzas by the owner. He wants to thank you guys and says you can have pizza whenever you want.’

‘Jee, thanks.’ Jack accepts the stack of pizzas and walks back to the living room where Mac has woken.

‘Free pizzas, courtesy of Pizza Palace.’

Mac is still yawning, ‘that was a nice thing to do.’

‘Come outside, Matty and Riley are also here.’

Mac slowly makes his way outside and Bozer pulls a chair closer since Mac is never going to get up again if he sits in the pit. The pizza boxes are opened and he is handed a slice on a plate while the rest of them eat from the box. A blanket is dropped over his shoulders and the team starts eating. Riley comes back with some beers and lemonade for Mac.

Mac looks around, this is what family does, they take care of each other. He’s glad he is part of this family. He’s going to be alright.


End file.
